Swarm
by SapOzh
Summary: Alliance was nipped in the bud. Humanity doesn't have a centralized government, instead it's ruled by three corporations, the Triumvirate. Massive AU. No reapers, most likely.


_I was always interested in alternative first contact stories. I even wrote one, although I find it horrible now. I didn't have any intention to write another one, but then I was attacked by a horrible plot bunny. I'm still unsure if I will continue the story…_

_For the sake of the plot there is a time shift. Humanity had 200 or so years more to advance and to destroy itself. Not because I want to make humanity stronger, but because I believe humanity would need more time to create this kind of society._

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><p><span><strong>SWARM<strong>

**Standard date: **279:11:24:11:00

Space. An endless ocean of emptiness. Bleak, cold and dead. When Cate had been young, she had dreamed about piloting a starship, gliding through the galaxy, solving all the mysteries of the universe, meeting weird aliens and having adventures like characters from books, movies and games.

Her parents had been very much against her idea of joining the Nyderian Security Enforcement Academy, but Cate had been as stubborn as a mule and hadn't listened to them. Although she would never tell her parents, she regretted the decision. There was nothing interesting about being a pilot. She was one of the best pilots in the known space, but what did her skills matter, if her only worry were endless routine tasks and stupid pirates in flying pots.

Life of a pilot was lonely. After obtaining a degree in mass effect physics, Catherine had been promoted to captain of the Nyderian Navy two years ago, and had earned the right to pilot a kilometre long starship. However, she was the only human aboard Vanguard. In fact, the only starships that had more humans on board were passenger ships.

The first interstellar starships had been different, they had been more like the ancient watercraft, or so she had been taught at the Nyderian Pilot Academy. One couldn't simply trust what the corporations were teaching. Each had its own history of the human civilization. The true history of the humanity was a mystery to all but a few historians

Cate often wondered what it had been like to serve on a large vessel with dozens people under one's command. She had only drones to command. Two thousand of five-meter long multipurpose drones controlled using the Direct Neural Interface. For better or worse pilots were still necessary to control the carriers due to the distance limitations of the remote control systems.

Her current mission was activation of a Mass Relay. A routine task, that she could carry out while sleeping. Literally. No pirate would attack a carrier of the size and as far as she knew there was no corporate war going on. She couldn't be sure, because humanity hadn't had a centralized government for more than two hundred years.

Nyderian Systems, WPSS Corp. and Dyne-Syber Alliance had been in control of the inner worlds and all known Mass Relays for more than a century. Unauthorized access to the Relays was strictly forbidden. The Triumvirate was wary of uncontrollable rapid expansion though the Relays, because it affected stability of the inner territories. And thus there always were two expansion sectors. One for colonization and one for survey and subsequent colonization.

Humans, however, had always strived for freedom. Every year millions would leave the inner worlds to find a better place to live. A very risky path, because no-one could guarantee one's safety in the outer worlds. She had read the horror stories about slavery, poverty and merciless wars of the outer worlds.

The Triumvirate had no reason to stop them, there was no lack of manpower. The more worlds were colonized, the larger was the market. Every now and then the Triumvirate would take over small corporations and free worlds of the outer territories, enlarging the inner space and subsequently forcing people to migrate further into the unknown. She had no idea how far human territories stretched. Probably, no-one knew. She read that even the fastest scout vessels would require a year to reach the most distant known human world.

Suddenly the long-range scanner signaled about a few approaching unauthorized vessels on FTL speed. Hopefully they had a communication device capable of working on FTL speeds. Most vessels of the inner worlds were equipped with one, but the same couldn't be told about the starships of the outer territories.

"Unauthorized vessels," she hailed, "you're approaching the restricted area R-49. Change your course or transmit your authorization code. Failure to comply will result in severe punishment. I repeat, change your course or transmit your authorization code."

According to the existing regulations, she was required to eliminate all vessels that were trying to access the Relay without authorization. However Nyderian Systems advised the pilots to handle every incident individually. Although many pilots would shoot first and ask questions later, Catherine disliked needless violence.

When fifteen sword-shaped ships dropped out of the FTL, Cate frowned. The fleet was large, too large for pirates, but the vessels' design wouldn't allow them to carry many drones. Catherine didn't believe that she would have any problems in a battle against them. They looked weird and a brief search through the database didn't yielded any matches, however. Not that it was anything unique: there were outer worlds that hadn't had any contact with the inner worlds for hundred years. Obviously they would design their starship in a different way.

"Unauthorized vessels," she repeated the message, "you're trespassing the restricted area R-49. Leave immediately or transmit your authorization code. Failure to comply will result in severe punishment. I repeat, leave immediately or transmit your authorization code."

In response they opened fire destroying a few of her drones. Cate raised an eyebrow when she realized that they were using starship based kinetic weapons which hadn't been in use for at least two centuries. They were extremely ineffective against drone swarms. A slug could destroy one, maybe five drones, but she had two thousand of these little birds. The only viable way to fight a swarm was having your own swarm, because even destruction of the carrier wouldn't stop the drones. Catherine launched the drones and activated stealth systems, letting her starship drift.

"Unauthorized vessels," she hailed, "power down your weapons and surrender. Failure to comply will result in the application of deadly force."

For a moment they ceased fire and she thought they would comply, but then another drone was destroyed by a slug and Cate had no choice but to let the swarm destroy the vessels. Controlling every single drone was impossible even with the most advanced neural implants and DNI, but that wasn't required, the drones were programmed to communicate with each other and behave like a swarm with the pilot acting as the driving force behind it.

"What a waste of human lives," she muttered and tried to hail them again: "Power down your weapons and cease the unlawful attack. This is the last warning."

Then the first enemy vessel was destroyed. It was cut down into small pieces by the thousand focused rays. As soon as the computer completed the analysis of the enemy vessels, she altered the behaviour of the swarm to disable the trespassing starships instead of outright destroying them.

The enemy fleet was losing a ship after a ship. They stood no chance against the swarm, but they weren't going down without a fight. The kinetic main guns weren't dangerous, but laser turrets were much less harmless. By the time four remaining vessels powered down their weapons and ceased fire to surrender, she lost fifteen percent of her drones. She was quite annoyed by the loses, because she knew that her superiors would be displeased. Drones weren't cheap. But the alternative would be the utter destruction of the vessels.

"This is Captain Catherine Tramell, NC-1701-011," she began the transmission to the Headquarters. "Reporting fifteen trespassing vessels of unknown origin at the Relay 49. Once warned about trespassing the vessels opened fire, forcing me to use deadly force. All hostile vessels were pacified. Two destroyed, nine disabled, four surrendered. The swarm suffered heavy losses due to the size of the enemy fleet. Requesting prisoner transport vessel and two hundred eighty one replacement drones."

A reply came a minute later: "The request is granted, Captain Trammel. ETA: 17:50."

The swarm surrounded the enemy vessels and she studied the debris. How strange... The two starships that had been destroyed had too many people aboard. Were these passenger vessels? Why would they attack a carrier? Cate moved a few drones further into the debris to study the passengers more closely.

She was taken aback at the completely unexpected sight of an alien instead of a human. For a few seconds all drones froze as she tried to regain her composure. An alien. These were vessels of an alien civilization. They weren't of human origin. She had failed to follow the First Contact Protocol. But how could she have known that these weren't human vessels?

"This is Captain Catherine Tramell, NC-1701-011. Patch me through to Admiral Manstein, immediately."

Just as expected, it took a few minutes until Admiral Manstein dressed in dark red uniform of the Nyderian Navy appeared on the virtual screen generated by the DNI. He was an old balding man, which spoke more about him than anything else. Although most humans of the inner territories could afford to stay young forever, some people believed that there was a good reason behind getting old and dying. Some bullshit about life being meaningless without death that Cate would never understand.

"Admiral Manstein here. I read your previous report. What is it, Captain Trammel?" the admiral asked impatiently.

"Hostile first contact situation, sir," she said.

His eyes twitched. There was something about the look he gave her that made Cate think he would laugh at her and send her for a psychiatric evaluation. Thankfully, she had some evidences. Otherwise she would get more than a little nervous. Before he had a chance to voice his doubts about her sanity, she let him see the transmission from the drone that was inspecting an alien body.

"Are you sure it's not yet another Dyne-Syber's hoax?" he asked at last.

"The analysis of the sample taken from the corpse shows that these are alien species. Too complex to be a hoax."

The admiral scratched his chin and asked, "You didn't follow the first contact protocol."

Cate clenched her fists. Manstein wasn't one of those bastards who would accuse anyone of some nonsense to save one's own arse. It was unnerving that he had mentioned the first contact protocol and more or less accused her of failing to follow it. She always thought of him as a fair officer, yet it seemed that he wasn't perfect either.

"I didn't know it was a first contact, sir. I made three attempts to hail them, before using my swarm against them. If they had been interested in talking, they would try to communicate."

He nodded briefly. "I'll dispatch sixteen carriers ASAP. ETA 24:18:30. As the highest ranked officer in the area you'll assume command. Do not attempt to contact the aliens, wait for the official representative of the corporation. In case you see more aliens, I give you the green light to call the Relay Patrol for backup. There are three carriers in your sector. Highest classification level is to be maintained."

"Aye aye, sir."

Cate sighed. She knew that if they would need a scapegoat, they'd use her. Regardless of the circumstances, she hadn't followed the first contact protocol. She had attacked the alien race. She had killed some of them. If these aliens would demand her blood as a price for alliance... Catherine didn't want to think about the consequences.

Her corporation wouldn't miss the chance to get into the new market. In the best-case scenario, she would be demoted and get a black mark on her pristine record. In the worst-case scenario, they would kick her out of the Security Forces. Cate knew that she hadn't done anything wrong, but would that matter?

She glanced at the alien's face and whispered, "Ugly bastard." They were humanoid and had a face, which she thought was good, because that meant they had at least some similarities. But, Stars, they weren't going to win any beauty contests. No way in Hell.

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><p><em>Did anyone catch subtle and not-so-subtle references? :)<em>


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